# Trump Attacks Fox News Amidst Midterm Election Setbacks and Ratings Decline

Former President Trump blames Fox News for Republican midterm losses while ratings continue falling.

- **Source:** [US Top News and Analysis](https://brifing.si/source/635540e9-943e-450d-ae52-ae0bfe3b67eb)
- **Published:** 2026-11-04
- **Topic:** [Business](https://brifing.si/c/business)
- **Original article:** <https://www.cnbc.com/2026/11/04/trump-fox-news-gop-midterm-losses.html>
- **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/875e3fd5-be06-4e70-89e3-2b524f9cc5be

## Trump Targets Fox News

Former President Donald Trump launched a series of critical posts on Truth Social during the midterm election night. He explicitly blamed Fox News for Republican losses, alleging the network consistently promoted Democratic opposition. This public rebuke marks a significant shift in his historically friendly relationship with the prominent cable broadcaster.

## Midterm Election Results

Democrats secured control of both the Senate and the House of Representatives during these historic midterms. The party successfully flipped seats in states typically favoring Republicans, including Texas, South Carolina, and Kansas. Trump contends that Fox News' editorial choices directly contributed to these unfavorable outcomes for his political allies.

## Declining Viewership Metrics

Fox News reported an average of 1.1 million viewers for October, representing a 27% decrease compared to the same month last year. Trump cited these specific figures as evidence of the network's decline, claiming that viewers are abandoning the channel because of its focus on what he calls deranged Democrats.

## CEO Explains Viewer Fatigue

Fox Corp. CEO Lachlan Murdoch attributed the viewership drop to general viewer fatigue during the company's quarterly earnings call. Murdoch argued that this trend is expected before midterm elections involving a second-term president. He explicitly stated that these departing viewers are not migrating to rival news networks like CNN or MSNBC.

## Competitor Performance Comparison

While Fox News faces a year-over-year decline, competitors reported different trends. MSNBC and CNN saw double-digit primetime viewership growth in October. Despite this, both networks maintained smaller total-day average audiences than Fox, with MSNBC recording 588,000 viewers and CNN reaching 402,000, according to data cited by the Fox network.

## Financial Performance Resilience

Despite the audience contraction, Fox Corp. reported a strong fiscal first quarter with revenue reaching $4.57 billion, a 22% increase year over year. The company highlighted a 47% surge in advertising revenue, bolstered significantly by political spending and broadcasts of the FIFA Men's World Cup throughout June and July.

## Shifting Media Relations

Trump has frequently criticized media companies he perceives as biased, often targeting NBC and ABC. However, his relationship with Fox News has historically been much closer. This recent hostility is notable given that Trump appeared on the network's Hannity program just one night before the midterm election results were finalized.

## Future Media Dynamics

The tension between Trump and Fox News highlights the volatile intersection of political outcomes and media influence. While the network maintains strong financial health through diversified assets, the loss of core viewers remains a critical challenge. Observers will monitor whether this public rift impacts future political coverage and network loyalty.

## Sources covering this story

- [US Top News and Analysis — Trump Criticizes Fox News Amidst Midterm Election Losses and Declining Ratings](https://www.cnbc.com/2026/11/04/trump-fox-news-gop-midterm-losses.html)
- [NYT > Business — Trump Criticizes Fox News Coverage During Midterm Election Night](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/11/03/business/media/trump-fox-news-gutfeld-tarlov.html)

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_Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._
